1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of rupture vessels and more particularly to rupture vessels having an auxiliary processing vessel (APV) to provide, among other things, an extra measure of safety in processing containers in a rupture vessel.
2. Related Art
Cylinder rupture vessels (CRVs), such as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,180 entitled "Cylinder Rupture Vessel"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,333 entitled "Cylinder Rupture Vessel with Clamps for Immobilizing a Container Within the Vessel", and U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,219 entitled "Cylinder Rupture Vessel" enable access to the contents of cylinders (for example, cylinders with inoperable valves), munitions, drums or other containers, containing either known or unknown substances, in a controlled environment. For simplicity, the term "container" will be used herein broadly to refer to cylinders, munitions, drums or other containers containing known or unknown substances (whether pressurized or not).
The general structure and operation of a CRV is described, for example, in the aforementioned patents which are each incorporated herein by reference. Briefly, a CRV generally comprises a sealed chamber with an access door for enabling a container to be located therein on a support surface. A sealing mechanism is provided to seal the chamber. Inlet and outlet ports may be provided for creating a vacuum and/or introducing inert gas into the CRV and for purging air and inert gas from the container. A rupture mechanism is typically provided for gaining access to the inside of the container. This has been done in the past by rupturing a wall of the container using a puncture mechanism such as a punch, spike, drill, projectile or saw or by puncturing the container near the valve to remove the valve. The term "rupture" is used herein broadly to mean gaining access to the interior of the container, by penetrating a wall or portion of the container. In some prior CRV's, the container is held stationary by clamps or other securing mechanisms. It is also known to invert the container after rupturing to facilitate removal of its contents, especially when those contents are liquids.
Accessing the contents of a container in a CRV enables controlled containment of the contents of the container. To this end, the CRV may be a sealed chamber to prevent leakage of the contents and may be designed to withstand explosions should they occur in the CRV. While this arrangement works satisfactorily, improvements are possible.
In an alternative arrangement, as described in parent application Ser. No. 08/070,709, a tapping assembly may be used inside the CRV to form a seal against the container and add an extra measure of protection. While this enhances the efficacy of a CRV, additional improvements are still possible.
Overpacks, per se, are known for receiving and transporting a container. It is believed to be heretofore unknown to locate an overpack in a CRV and process a container located therein.